CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 483 



are such as will arouse the enthusiasm and ' county-patriotism ' of the 

 supporters of the Societies. It is difficult at all times to obtain a suf- 

 ficient number of members to permit of the carrying out of the necessary 

 work of the Societies (meetings, publication, »fec.), and it is still more 

 arduous to collect funds for any piece of work supplemental to the 

 routine business. I suggest that local Societies will best aid in their 

 humble way the progress of science by confining their energies to the 

 acknowledged three main objects of their existence — the minute study of 

 the natural history and archaeology of the counties ; in educational work 

 of a propagandist character ; and in assisting in the formation of well- 

 planned local museums and scientific libraries in their own districts. 



All holding similar views will cordially approve of such pieces of 

 work as the photographic survey of a county, or of the botanical survey 

 advocated in a paper placed upon the agenda at the present meeting. 

 And to be welcomed is the project for the preparation of a map-index to 

 prehistoric remains, so ably advocated by Mr. C H. Read, F.S.A., at the 

 Belfast meeting of this Committee. I should like to expatiate briefly 

 upon these ideas, and, as I have no authority to speak for other counties, 

 I will confine my remarks to Essex. 



In Essex considerable changes in the flora and fauna may be antici- 

 pated in consequence of rapid extension of building, the cutting down of 

 woods and hedges, alterations on the coast brought about by the draining 

 and cultivation of salt marshes and the silting up of estuaries, &c. Dr. 

 Sorby has described the changes in the shallow-water fauna of the coast 

 during the last fourteen or sixteen years. Inland and near the towns, 

 the destruction of raptorial birds and mammalia by gamekeepers, and the 

 increase of insectivorous birds consequent upon the enforcement of the 

 Wild Birds Acts, are causes which apparently determine the disappearance 

 of many insects and moUusca which is so regrettable. These are strong 

 reasons for the preparation of more detailed floral and faunal catalogues 

 than any yet produced, of the character which I understand Dr. Smith 

 and Mr. Rankin will advocate in their paper. If such work is not done 

 soon it will be too late, as the rapid changes of environment and food 

 will exterminate some species and modify the habits of others. And I 

 would emphasise the importance of our local museums being furnished 

 with extensive and accurately localised sets of plants, animals and fossils 

 before destructive influences have blotted out for ever many rare forms 

 and variations. The sea has washed away a great part of our fragment 

 of Waltonian Crag, and the builder has covered up or carted away our 

 river- terraces and brick-earth deposits. 



This scientific collecting and registration, if done systematically and 

 thoroughly, will need not only much careful work, but also the expenditure 

 of considerable sums of money. 



The desirability of carefully registering and systematically exploring 

 the prehistoric remains in Essex has engaged our attention .for many 

 years past. As long ago as 1883 our Vice-President, Professor Meldola, 

 F.R.S., read a paper before this Conference on ' Local Societies and the 

 Minor Prehistoric Remains of Britain.' The paper was printed in extenso 

 in the 'Transactions of the Essex Field Club,' vol. iv. pp. 116-122. The 

 destruction of some of these remains, and the precarious tenure of exist- 

 ence of such as remain, have often been the subject of remark, as in the 

 noteworthy address of Mr. Read referred to above. I am very glad to 

 say that the suggestions of these gentlemen with regard to cataloguing 



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